Page 72 of Meet Me in Tahiti

The wind filledthe sails like it was rooting for them.

Clean, steady, perfect—a captain’s dream. The catamaran glided smoothly across the open blue, the hull slicing through gentle swells, sun glinting off the water like scattered coins, the engine humming as well so they’d keep a faster pace. It should’ve felt like victory. Like peace.

Instead, Russ stood at the helm with a hollow space growing slowly behind his ribs.

They were heading back. Home, for most of them.

An ending for him. And for Tessa.

He tightened his grip on the wheel as another gust filled the sails, carrying them forward effortlessly. The boat practically hummed under his hands. Everything was working in their favor—the wind, the tide, the forecast, even the darned espresso machine this morning. Which he’d needed. Twice.

He should’ve been in a great mood.

But the quiet ache had already started to settle in. Not loud. Not yet. Just there, like a shadow he couldn’t shake. The loneliness of it. The inevitability.

Tessa stood beside him.

She’d been there since they’d pulled anchor, a soft presence at his side while the others dozed off below or stretched out in the sun with books and sunglasses and travel journals for the four-hour trip.

Tessa had taken one of the anti-nausea pills again before they set off on the crossing, back to the island of Raiatea, where the group would take a forty-five-minute flight back to the international airport on Tahiti, then catch their flight back to Los Angeles International for their layover.

“I’m not falling asleep,” she’d told him, sipping from her own cup of espresso. “This is my last day on the boat with you. I’m staying awake.”

And she had. She’d stood there through every tack and course correction, helped him and Malik tighten a line when he needed another pair of hands, even passed him the binoculars once when a distant sail caught his eye.

He’d shown her a few things—how to read the wind on the water, how to adjust the trim, what to listen for in the sails. She’d asked questions and actually wanted to learn, even if the numbers on the navigation screen still made her cross-eyed. They’d laughed and shared more precious moments together.

With everyone asleep or occupied for an hour or two—even Jules had said she’d nap for a bit—he’d held Tessa’s hand when he could, too. No one was around tosee, after all, except Malik, now and then, and they’d put a little distance between them whenever he came around.

They’d also talked. About where his family lived in Fort Lauderdale. About his siblings. About her sister and her parents. About her work. About all the things they’d forgotten to talk about before, now that time was running out.

He hadn’t expected how much it would mean to him. Her being there, when she could’ve gone below to rest like the others had. But she was at his side, ponytail blowing, sunglasses perched on her nose, one hand resting lightly on the railing as the waves rose tall in front of them and the wind blew the hair from their faces.

And every now and then, she’d turned to him and smiled.

Like nothing was ending.

Like they still had time. Like they could do this forever.

He wished they could. With all his heart.

The horizon stretched out ahead of them—open and glittering and blindingly blue.

But land was coming. And so was goodbye.

The dockat Raiatea came into view slowly, the wooden planks warming under the late afternoon sun. The catamaran nudged into its slip like it knew the routine, like it, too, had done this before—broughtpeople together and then delivered them back gently to real life.

Tessa stood with the others on deck as they waited for the gangplank to be lowered. Her sandals were in her hand. And when her bare feet touched the dock, she slipped them on with ease.

A soft smile touched her lips. The same girl who’d once stumbled barefoot across the deck, who’d clumsily scraped a leg on a mound of coral and forced everyone out of the water, who’d requested a land-only vacation, who’d worried what she’d do without a plus-one on this trip, now walked steadily toward the rental van, her legs sure, her heart still full—despite everything.

She’d crossed so many bucket-list items from her list this week, it wasn’t even funny. She’d have to remember that. She’d done what she’d come to do. Expanded her horizons. Tried new things. Forgotten about Ethan and enjoyed the tripwithouta plus-one, at least on paper. A total reset.

The week had been a success in the grander scheme of things. Her birthday had been amazing, too. One for the books. She’d look back fondly on this trip, even if those memories were also bittersweet.

The girls each gave Jules a warm hug.

“Safe flight, alright? You all get some sleep on that plane,” Jules said sweetly, still concerned for their well-being as she pulled her suitcase in behind. Jules had treated them all like old friends all week. Tessa would never forget her.

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